In Our Lifetime
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| In Our Lifetime | ||
 |
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| Studio album by Marvin Gaye | ||
| Released | January 15, 1981 | |
| Recorded | 1979-1980 | |
| Genre | Funk/Soul | |
| Length | 46:33 | |
| Label | Tamla | |
| Producer(s) | Marvin Gaye | |
| Marvin Gaye chronology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Here, My Dear (1978) |
In Our Lifetime (1981) |
Midnight Love (1982) |
In Our Lifetime was a 1981 album by Marvin Gaye for the Tamla (Motown) label, his final release on the label.
Entirely written, produced, and arranged by Gaye himself, In Our Lifetime is seen as one of the best albums from the singer's later Motown period.[citation needed] The album was mostly recorded mostly in a studio Gaye rented in London during his self-imposed exile from America, and was his first album since What's Going On to explore his philosophical and religious sides. In Our Lifetime?, as Gaye had intended to title the record, also explored a new funkier side to his music.
In Our Lifetime became a subject of conflict between the artist and his label. Gaye complained that Motown rushed much of the recording, and later modified the album without his input in an attempt to make it more commercially viable. The version of In Our Lifetime that Motown released had been remixed and edited by Motown without Gaye's consent, and the album's title was missing the question mark Gaye had placed at the end of it (the title In Our Lifetime? was meant to be ironic). Gaye became furious with Motown and label head Berry Gordy for its handling of the album, and left the label as a result.
Two of the album's songs,"Praise" and "Heavy Love Affair", were both released as singles, but the highest any of the songs made on any chart was #17 R&B ("Ego Tripping Out") and #18 R&B ("Praise"). Despite the controversy surrounding its release, In Our Lifetime was a critical success. Sales of the record were unusually poor, however, and In Our Lifetime has since fallen out of print. Though currently unavailable in the US, the album can be found as part of an import two-fer with Gaye's 1978 release, Here, My Dear. A double CD reissue, collating three different versions of the album, is due for release in 2007.[1]
[edit] Track listing
- "Ego Tripping Out" (Gaye) – 7:18
- "Praise" (Gaye) – 4:54
- "Life Is For Learning" (Gaye) – 3:41
- "Love Party" (Gaye) – 5:01
- "Funk Me" (Gaye) – 5:30
- "Far Cry" (Gaye) – 4:34
- "Love Me Now or Love Me Later" (Gaye) – 5:00
- "Heavy Love Affair" (Gaye) – 3:49
- "In Our Lifetime" (Gaye) – 7:00
The cover was designed by Neil Breeden. Rapper Daz Dillinger paid homage to the cover on his first solo album, Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back.
